DarwinFest : Happy As Harry

Happy As Larry is a powerful performance that combines a free-­‐flowing mix of ballet, breakdance, roller-­‐skating and highly physical contemporary dance, all set to a vibrant electro-­‐acoustic score and performed against the backdrop of an ingenious set.

Created by award-­‐winning Australian choreographer Shaun Parker, it builds on his national and international reputation for choreography that combines a fat dose of funny with a visionary dance aesthetic and runs at The Playhouse, Darwin Entertainment Centre on 22-­‐23 August.

The cast of characters is developed from the Enneagram, a psychological system that maps nine personality types: the Perfectionist; the Giver; the Performer; the Tragic Romantic; the Observer; the Devil’s Advocate; the Optimist; the Boss; and the Mediator – all rich inspiration for Parker’s insightful creativity and the perfect springboard to explore the different ways we perceive happiness.

While the dancers themselves are breathtaking in their dexterity, the pulsing score, composed by Nick Wales (Sarah Blasko) and Bree van Reyk (Holly Throsby) is equally gripping. Wales and van Reyk have created a dynamic soundtrack for the skilful cast which includes two members of the original production: Darwin local Josh Mu (star of last year’s S.I.K: Style Impressions Krew, Force Majeure, Chunky Move) and Marnie Palomares (Sydney Theatre Company, Chunky Move).

As a dancer, Shaun Parker has worked with the world’s best from Berlin’s Sasha Waltz to New York’s Meredith Monk, Meryl Tankard and Force Majeure.

As a choreographer, Parker is celebrated for his street moves and physicality. Happy as Larry fuses gritty realism and a playful sensibility to create an exuberant exploration of the human condition and the elusive nature of happiness.